As we draw ever closer to Christmas, some may be confused when they hear about Angels With Dirty Faces. Despite our immense love for the film, this is not the narrative beloved by Kevin McCallister in Home Alone – that is Angels With Filthy Souls, ya filthy animal! This is not an unwelcome fact to bring up, though, as that memorable spoof takes aim at the prototypical gangster films much in the same way that Angels With Dirty Faces did upon its release in 1938. Yes, this feature from Michael Curtiz (Doctor X, The Private Lives Of Elizabeth & Essex) stars James Cagney (Each Dawn I Die) as the tough-guy figure that defined him for most of his career, but the ways in which it plays out is far from the standard shoot-em-up with sour morals that often populates the genre. It taps into something much deeper in a way that has elevated it in stature to be known as one of the greatest gangster films of all time. It is certainly a career highlight for most involved, and fans of cinema should count themselves lucky that all red tape has been cleared to release this on Blu-Ray.
The film begins with a prologue that, according to the special features, was very nearly abandoned due to the inability to find young performers that looked like their adult counterparts. Thank goodness Curtiz persisted as the emotional foundation of the narrative resides in these opening moments. In 1920, Rocky Sullivan and Jerry Connolly are simply two neighborhood kids getting into petty trouble before graduating to the attempted robbery of a railroad car in which Rocky gets pinched. The two friends who were thick as thieves go down very different paths; Rocky (James Cagney) evolves over fifteen years into a notorious criminal who has only recently gotten out of jail after being asked to take the fall for an armed robbery by crooked lawyer Jim Frazier (Humphrey Bogart, Dark Passage) in exchange for money on the other side. Jerry (Pat O’Brien, Some Like It Hot), on the other hand, has turned his life around and become a Catholic priest. When the two reconnect, there is an easy familiarity between the two but there is always something keeping their friendship at a distance.
Cagney is phenomenal as the amiable gangster who disarms you with his charm while working the criminal angles at every turn. You often forget that he is known to be a bad guy, as he is written to be the shining light of the neighborhood. The least effective display of his softer side is with Laury Martin (Ann Sheridan, They Drive By Night), a girl who he used to bully who has grown up to run the boarding house in which he finds himself. There is technically a romance between these two, but by all accounts the creative team was not much interested in developing this role and the true “romance” is brotherly affection between Rocky and Jerry. Laury is a character that just goes nowhere. On the other hand, the street hoodlums that Rocky nurtures are very effective in making him seem life a decent guy until you remember he is teaching them how to be better burgeoning criminals themselves. This is where Jerry and Rocky come to an impasse; Jerry believes there is still hope for these kids and having Rocky glamorize the gangster life will only cause harm.
Even if this was just a standard gangster film, it would still rank among the top tier for the sake of the direction from Curtiz as well as the knockout performances. What separates it from the pack is when it continues beyond where other films in the genre would end. Seeing two sides exchange gunfire makes for a thrilling finale, but what if you turned character growth into something just as gripping? This is the question the film asks and answers so gracefully. Every film of this ilk has a tough guy, but it is what lies beyond the steely exterior that proves to be the most fascinating. Deconstructing masculinity has become a much more common occurrence in the past decade or so, but essentially doing this in the 1930s is astounding. Angels With Dirty Faces is in a class of its own and should rightfully continue to be held up as a grand achievement within the genre.
Video Quality
Warner Archive presents Angels With Dirty Faces for the first time on Blu-Ray with 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K scan of the Original Nitrate Camera Negative. You can always count on Warner Archive to deliver quality work, and the image is nothing short of a revelation for a film that is over eighty years old. This black and white feature has nice, natural film grain throughout that provides a great amount of detail to the image. The presentation has a pleasing amount of depth to it including in the shadows where there is no evidence of any black crush. Print damage is nonexistent to these eyes throughout the duration of the movie. It is always pleasing to see how film preservation can bring new life to a film, and Warner Archive has reached perfection with this release.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that sounds simply wonderful. James Cagney has the prototypical gangster delivery that always comes through crystal clear. As a matter of fact, none of the sound effects or the evocative score from Max Steiner ever overpowers the dialogue on this release. The more kinetic sequences including climactic shootouts are appropriately lively in the speakers. There does not appear to be any damage or age related wear to the track. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles available on the disc for those who need it. Overall, this is an excellent audio presentation that gives the material the life it deserves.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Historian Dana Polan delivers a dynamic and informative commentary track in which he discusses how this film fits into the time period in which it was released, how it acts as a commentary on gangster films as a genre, the sequences that were nearly abandoned, the performances in the film, and so much more that goes towards revealing how much depth this film contains.
- Warner Night At The Movies 1938
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- Introduction by Leonard Maltin: A four-minute piece with the film critic as he discusses the history of the film and the subsequent extras that replicate the theatrical experience.
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- Boy Meets Girl Theatrical Trailer: The nearly three-minute unrestored trailer is included here of the comedy also starring Cagney and O’Brien released prior to this feature film.
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- Newsreel: A two-minute look at a peace pact being signed in Munich.
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- Musical Short – Out Where The Stars Begin: A 19-minute Broadway Brevity short which spoofs the Hollywood studio system.
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- Porky & Daffy: A nearly eight-minute Looney Tunes short is presented here in HD which finds Daffy taking part in a boxing match.
- Angels With Dirty Faces – Whaddya Hear? Whaddya Say?: A 22-minute featurette in which various film historians discuss the state of gangster films during this era and the legacy of Angels With Dirty Faces. This gives fascinating insight into the Hays Code and general societal atmosphere of the time.
- Lux Radio Theater Broadcast (5/22/1939): A 59-minute condensed audio version of the story is provided here with James Cagney and Pat O’Brien reprising their lead roles, and Gloria Dixon filling in for Ann Sheridan.
- Theatrical Trailer: The nearly three-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Angels With Dirty Faces is one of the greatest gangster films ever to be released, possibly because it goes towards deconstructing the genre. James Cagney delivers one of his finest performances opposite a stoic-yet-brilliant Pat O’Brien. Michael Curtiz surprises no one by delivering an impeccably made narrative that scored him an Oscar nomination for Best Director. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a surprising number of special features. If you are even a bit curious about classic gangster films, you owe it to yourself to seek this one out. Recommended
Angels With Dirty Faces can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
